Irma is credited with five deaths by drowning and four deaths involving carbon monoxide, including the carbon-monoxide deaths of a mother and two teenage children in Orange County.
Florida
Nursing Home Where Eight Died Wasn’t On FPL’s Priority List For Power Restoration
FPL placed nursing homes in a second tier of infrastructure — behind “critical” but ahead of residential homes. Local officials gave the Hollywood Hills home that designation using FPL guidance.
You Cannot Be Serious: Hurricane Maria Sniffs Around Irma’s Wake
Hurricane Maria is expected to become a major hurricane, with a global forecast seeing it veer away from Florida, but the more accurate European forecast seeing it come closer to the coast.
Uninsured Rate Falls To Record Low Of 8.8%, But Florida’s Rate Still 5th Highest in U.S.
Florida’s rate of uninsured would have been lower had Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature not prevented the federally-funded expansion of Medicaid.
FPL Lies
FPL’s response to Hurricane Irma in Flagler has been disgraceful and secretive, both at the expense of local emergency responses and at the expense of residents.
Flagler Schools Closed Through Monday; Flooding Complicating Homecoming Across Florida
As evacuees continued to struggle either to make it home or to contend with power cuts, Flagler Schools decided to remain closed until Monday for more clean-up.
Damages: 50,250 Lose Power, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach Heavily Flooded, Less So in Palm Coast, No Systematic Devastation; Curfew Extended On Island, Schools Closed Wednesday
While Flagler and Palm Coast made it through Hurricane Irma without devastation, there was heavy flooding in homes in South Flagler Beach and the west end of the county.
Conditions Deteriorating Across Flagler: Waters Rise, 22,400 Out of Power, Irma Spins Further East
Hurricane Irma’s tropical-storm forces have already drenched Flagler well ahead of peak activity and now are slowing enough to cause worries that the damage will be more severe than anticipated.
FPL Projects 4.1 Million Could Lose Power in Coming Days; Time Runs Out To Flee Irma
FPL has pre-positioned more than 13,500 recovery workers from its staff and other states at 20 staging areas, including a new bunker-like facility in Palm Coast.
What To Expect in Flagler In Next 48 Hours on Shelters, Evacuations, Storm Effects and Hunkering Down
As Hurricane Irma approaches, a complete run-down of what you should expect from emergency responders and what you should do in the next 48 hours.
Trump’s Decision To End Dreamers’ Amnesty Creates Dilemma For Florida GOP
Florida is home to at least 30,000 people who could be affected and is the base for exponentially more Hispanic voters who could be critical to next year’s elections.
Behind Solar Shades Soon in Palm Coast, A “Voluntary” FPL Program of Limited Benefit But Ample Marketing
FPL’s SolarNow program bills willing customers $9 a month then uses the money to build solar-power installations like those coming to Holland Park, City Hall and the Community Center.
Supreme Court Backs Scott, 5-2, In Death Penalty Battle With State Attorney Ayala
Scott removed Ayala from handling capital cases earlier this year, shortly after she announced her office would not pursue the death penalty for defendants.
Development and Disasters: A Deadly Combination Well Beyond Houston
Scientists warn of more and expanding “bull’s-eyes” as Americans build in parts of the country at ever greater risk because of climate change and severe weather.
Michael Thomas, 2nd in Command at FHP, Resigns Over Ticket-Quota Inquiry
It is the latest fallout from an ongoing investigation into whether troopers were told to meet a traffic-ticket quota, Lt. Col. Michael Thomas was a 30-year veteran and deputy director for the FHP.
Florida Lawmakers to Review Law Targeting Injured Undocumented Workers
A top Florida lawmaker and a national insurance fraud group criticized a law used by insurers to turn in injured undocumented workers and avoid paying workers’ comp benefits.
Renner and Hutson Call For State Audit of Free-Spending Flagler Mosquito Control District
It is the first indication that the tax-supported district, which has itself so far refused to conduct an audit in the wake of the crisis, will be examined independently.
Florida Supreme Court Admits to Mistake But Clears Record 24th Execution on Scott’s Watch
Lawyers for Mark James Asay, convicted of killing Robert Booker and Robert McDowell in 1987, asked for a new hearing after the Florida Supreme Court issued a rare mea culpa for mistaking one of the victims as black.
Proposal To Replace Statue of Confederate Gen. Smith With One of Mary McLeod Bethune
State Sen. Perry Thurston proposed a resolution to have Bethune replace Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith as one of Florida’s two representatives in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
Flagler Unemployment Steady at 4.8%, Florida Adds 32,000 Jobs As Labor Force Grows
Compared to June, Flagler’s labor force didn’t budge, nor did the number of people with jobs, nor did the number of unemployed persons.
Embroiled In Supremacist Controversy, Trump Reaches For Scott As Lunch Buddy
Scott had lunch with Trump at a New Jersey golf resort, as the president continued to draw criticism for comments about a white nationalist rally.
Misconduct Charges Mount Against Flagler Judge Scott DuPont, Now Pointing To Courtroom Violations
Seven new charges against Circuit Judge Scott DuPont bring the total to 12 and now point to disturbing allegations of violations against people appearing in court and lawyers.
“I Didn’t Serve To Defend Neo-Nazis,” Gov. Scott Says, Distancing Himself From Trump
Pam Bondi, meanwhile, endorsed UF President Kent Fuchs’s denial of a request to allow white nationalist leader Richard Spencer to speak on campus next month.
UF Prepares For White Supremacist Richard Spencer, a Rally Participant in Charlottesville
National Policy Institute President Richard Spencer, who made an appearance at the Charlottesville event, could speak at the University of Florida next month. Authorities are taking measures.
Gov. Scott Seeks Amendment To Require Supermajority When Lawmakers Raise Taxes
Gov. Scott didn’t define the meaning of “supermajority” but 15 states, liberal and conservative, already have the requirement of from 60 to 75 percent supermajorities when lawmakers raise taxes.
Not This Time: Supreme Court Rejects Re-Sentencing For Murderer of 13-Year-Old Girl
Hitchcock was sent to Death Row after a 10-2 jury recommendation. Attorneys argued that the new unanimity standard should retroactively apply to his case and lead to a new sentencing hearing.
Clash Continues Ahead of Aug. 24 Execution Over Lethal Injection Drug Never Before Used
Asay’s execution would be the first carried out in Florida since a January 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found Florida’s death penalty sentencing system was unconstitutional.
Alarming Federal Report On Global Warming Elicits Fears Trump Will Suppress It
The report all but erases doubt that climate change is the result of human activity and that warming will worsen, but it’s awaiting President Trump’s approval and that of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Florida’s State Colleges Will See Their First Enrollment Increase in Seven Years
A new state forecast projects a 1 percent growth rate in enrollment in the 28 colleges during the 2017-18 academic year, representing the equivalent of 324,109 full-time students.
In Some States, Sales Tax Holidays Lose Luster as Hype Overshadows Cost
Tax holidays don’t increase buying but merely concentrate it around specific dates. They’re regressive. They’re more political than useful: in Florida, the Legislature turned down Gov. Scott’s request for 10 days.
Half of Floridians Now Off Land Lines, Underscoring Need For Stronger Cell Coverage
An estimated 51 percent of homes in the state were wireless-only in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of traditional residential wirelines in the state dropped 15 percent from 2015 to 2016.
Florida’s Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend: Here’s A Guide
Florida’s 2017 sales tax holiday on school supplies, clothing, shoes and personal computers and other select accessories is this weekend–starting at a minute after midnight Friday, Aug. 4, through midnight Sunday, Aug. 7.
New Driver’s Licenses, With Double the Security Features, Intended to Cut Down on Fraud
Each card will have better safeguards, from features that appear only when viewed under ultraviolet light to a pastel-colored linear rendering of the Florida state seal and a large orange “FL.”
Gov. Scott’s Emily Hysterics
Even Tropical Storm/Depression Emily cried foul at Gov. Scott’s, sleazy, opportunistic hyping of what was no more than an overheated summer storm: look at how fast she high-tailed it out of the state.
Court To Decide Legality of Those Utility Bills For Nukes Plants That May Never Be Built
A federal appeals court hears arguments in a class-action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law that has led to Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida collecting money from customers for nuclear-power projects.
Renewed Push For Tougher Texting While Driving Penalties May Face Resistance in Flagler
A Florida state legislator, Emily Slosberg, who survived a violent car crash caused by distracted driving, is campaigning across the state to make texting and driving a primary offense.
Hutson and Renner Try To Push Back Against Criticism on Home Rule, Taxes and Education
Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner took credit for–and defended–several controversial bills that passed in the last session of the Legislature as they spoke to Flagler’s political and business leaders this morning.
It’s Not Just Palm Coast: Credit Card Skimming at Gas Stations Up 160% in Florida
State figures show 315 skimmers had been discovered at Florida gas pumps through July 18, compared to 120 skimmers discovered through the first seven months of 2016.
Florida Must Pay $1.1 Million In Legal Fees After Losing Battle in Glocks v. Docs Fight
A federal court struck down a controversial state law, backed by the NRA, that sought to prevent doctors from asking patients about guns.
Per Curiam: County Attorney Al Hadeed Is Awarded State Association’s Ethics in Government Honor
Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed has been leaving legal footprints in Florida law going back to the 1970s, in defense of ethics and Sunshine Law standards.
Gov. Scott Defends Plan to Appoint Three Supreme Court Justices in Last Days In Office
Those three members — justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince — are part of the court’s more-liberal majority, and some advocates are worried that Scott, a Republican, could tip the balance of power on the bench on his final day in office.
Appeals Court Skeptical Of Sitting In Judgment Over Florida’s Education Standards
The issue is whether courts can evaluate the state’s obligation under a 1998 constitutional amendment that declares it a “paramount duty of the state” to education all children.
Obamacare Exchanges In Limbo as GOP Repeal Fails and Trump Ramps Up Sabotage Talk
Even as premiums increase about 18 percent, Florida Blue, the state’s largest health insurer, said those rates would go even higher if government subsidies disappeared.
With Sanford and Other Non-Mega Airport Posting Big Gains, Florida Passes Texas in Passengers
Florida recorded a nearly 4 percent growth in its overall outbound passenger count, from 78.07 million in 2015 to 81.17 million last year, according to annual FAA data.
Judge Kim C. Hammond, Legend From Seminole Gridiron to Flagler Courtroom, Dies at 72
Judge Kim C. Hammond was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bob Graham in 1979 and spent his entire judicial in Flagler County, where the county courthouse now bears his name.
End of Citrus as We Squeezed It: Florida Harvest Is Lowest in Decades
Florida’s struggling citrus industry shows the orange crop falling 16 percent from the previous season — which, itself, had been at a five-decades low.
Countering 70% of Its Own Voters, Flagler Beach Prepares to Ban Medical Pot Dispensaries Outright
The City Commission this evening takes up an ordinance that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere in the city. The city fears not doing so would turn it into a pot hub.
Lawyer For Inmate Scheduled To Be Executed Accuses Pam Bondi of Hoodwinking Him
A lawyer for a Death Row inmate scheduled to be executed next month is accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi of hoodwinking him into agreeing to a delay in a U.S. Supreme Court review.
Flagler Voters Opting to Cancel Registration in Response to Trump Commission’s Sweeping Records Request
Flagler County through the state will comply with Trump’s federal commission request for vast amounts of voter registration information, but the decision is causing a backlash.
Why The Obsession Against Smokable Medical Pot? John Morgan Wants To Know.
Morgan bankrolled the medical-marijuana ballot initiative and repeatedly threatened to sue over smoking, which he says was permitted in the amendment supported by more than 71 percent of Florida voters last fall.